MSRP is $39.98/each. So even though some of these sets have a lot of repeat titles (since each is trying to be comprehensive for their character), at least Universal has priced them accordingly very affordably.

I'm willing to bet this from the same dated master as the Koch Blu-ray. I noticed a few people on some other forums around the web questioned how many Walmart shoppers would be interested in a Truffaut movie. It's currently among the best-selling Blu-rays on their site, which is really not that surprising to me. Certainly scores of people are familiar with the title from their high school English class, and the recent surge in popularity of dystopian fiction is no doubt helping.

Wow, one of my HBO frequent viewings from childhood (it still seems to be on there now too), I hinted at this during one of our Criterion guesses a few months ago. Kind of hoping 1 and 2 would be packaged together.

Universal is the latest studio to turn to fucking BD-Rs for catalog titles: Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid and Fletch Lives-- both available already on region-free Blu-rays from... Universal-- are coming later this month

domino harvey wrote:Universal is the latest studio to turn to fucking BD-Rs for catalog titles: Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid and Fletch Lives-- both available already on region-free Blu-rays from... Universal-- are coming later this month

Ugh. I saw these went up on Amazon, but didn't see a mention of BD-R. I imagine if it is the case, The Paper and For Richer or Poorer, also releasing that day, will be the same?

domino harvey wrote:Blu-ray posters are reporting these are unexpectedly NOT BD-Rs after all!

It seems like Universal may be following the example of Warner Archive Collection. I've received three of the four titles so far (all pressed BD-50s), and the covers have the slight facsimile appearance of WAC Blu-ray jackets. Of course, it may also have simply been a mix-up, which will only affect this batch of titles. I would still greatly prefer to see Universal releasing these Blu-rays at retail, rather than online only.

With the arrival of For Richer or Poorer, I can now confirm all four titles released on December 26th, 2017 are indeed pressed BD-50 discs. I have yet to check out at all four in my home theater, but according to others, they continue Universal's new trend of no menus (just a subtitle on/off option), and no extras, and it seems that all four titles have only English SDH subtitles.

I initially thought this was okay in terms of no extras, but I was rather stunned to discover that For Richer or Poorer, while not having any extras on the standard or DTS DVDs, actually had a Signature Collection LaserDisc with a director's audio commentary, a making of, an alternate ending and deleted/extended scenes, outtakes (which may or may not be different to those with the end credits) and the film's theatrical trailer. This must make it one of scant few Universal titles where no extras survived the jump from LD to DVD (to DTS DVD) and then Blu-ray. Worse still, the LD and the standard DVD were both released simultaneously on May 5th, 1998.

JSC wrote:So Universal's release of For Whom the Bell Tolls, got a right-royal
paddling at blu-ray.com. One of the lowest scores since Universal's
equally mediocre treatment of Hitchcock's Family Plot.

JSC wrote:So Universal's release of For Whom the Bell Tolls, got a right-royal
paddling at blu-ray.com. One of the lowest scores since Universal's
equally mediocre treatment of Hitchcock's Family Plot.

The blu-ray.com seems to naively believe that the original three-strip neg for the full-length version of the film still exists. Considering the film came to Universal from Paramount--which notoriously junked most of its original nitrate--and the film was cut down to a shorter version, it's very likely that parts of the film only exist in the form of composite dupe neg. A full GONE WITH THE WIND or BAND WAGON style restoration may well be impossible.

Still, it seems that the PQ is plagued with various other issues outside of color registration, such that the end look isn't enticing at all. From what the caps look like, it almost makes the whole point of releasing it on BD moot because the material barely seems worth it.